


3 times Willie called Caleb dad & 1 time Caleb called Willie son.

by edenwrites



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Caleb Covington Cares About Willie, Caleb basically adopted Willie at this point, Gen, Good Caleb, Good Caleb Covington, Good Significant Other Alex, M/M, Unhappy Ending, for chapter four, get your tissues ready folks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:41:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27478225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edenwrites/pseuds/edenwrites
Summary: 3 times Willie called Caleb dad & 1 time Caleb called Willie son.orwhat I think they could've had if Caleb wasn't so evil in the show.
Relationships: Alex & Caleb Covington & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie & Willie, Alex & Flynn & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie & Willie, Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie & Willie, Alex & Luke Patterson & Reggie & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Caleb Covington & Willie
Comments: 40
Kudos: 114





	1. the crashings of the past strike at midnight.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb comforts Willie after finding out the reason he's been avoiding sleep.

Ghosts don't always need sleep, but like everything else in life, or in this case death, even ghosts need to recharge every so often. 

Willie always tried to avoid sleeping as much as he could get away with, which usually left him drained and sluggish. He always did his best to hide it from the others at the club, Alex and the band and especially Caleb. Caleb would force him to sleep until he felt better if he caught on to what he was doing. 

That being said, Willie couldn't avoid sleep forever. The few times he actually did sleep, it didn't end well. He'd wake up screaming from nightmares. They ranged from watching those he loved die to reliving his actual death over and over again, on a constant loop that he couldn't break. He was just glad Caleb never heard him. 

But his luck never lasted long. 

Caleb saw Willie start to stumble and falter at a couple of dances in the show and sent him to his room, and to "get some sleep, William." Willie did as he said and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, couldn't muster the strength to change his clothes or take his hair out. 

A few hours later and it was around midnight. The show had finished early due to the rough storm happening. The dancers and all the staff had changed and left to their respective rooms. The club was empty, it was eeiry and unusual, like all the life, the glitz, the glamour had been sucked from the building. Everyone was gone, all except for Caleb, who was walking around on the floors of the hotel where everyone slept, making sure everyone was safe. 

When he reached Willie's room, he stopped. He could hear tossing and turning, distressed sounds and protests coming from inside. He walked through the door to find Willie going through a nightmare. 

Caleb quickly walked to the side of the bed and knelt down, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders and shaking him slightly.

"William! William, wake up!" He tried raising his voice to see if he could get more of response but to no avail, "Kid! It's okay, it's just a nightmare. It's not real. You're safe." Oh how wrong he was. 

He tried talking to him more but decided to wait it out. After a few more minutes, Willie bolted upright and started to have a panic attack at the sounds of the booming thunder outside his window. He looked to Caleb with wide and terrified eyes. 

Caleb held his hands out, giving Willie the option to take them or not, when he did, he started to do breathing exercises to help calm Willie further. This happened for a while and Willie started to breathe normally again. 

He slumped forward onto Caleb's shoulder, his eyes felt heavy so he squeezed them shut, mainly to block out the flashes of lightening, and Caleb gently wrapped an arm around his back, leaning them both backwards to rest against the headboard. They stayed like that. Willie with his head on Caleb's shoulder with Caleb rubbing his back slowly with one hand and letting Willie play with his other hand. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Caleb's voice quietly broke through the silence. 

Willie shook his head and sniffed. 

"It's okay. You don't have to." 

The pair didn't know how much time had passed before Willie decided to take a deep breath and speak even when his voice was shaky. 

"I had a nightmare. About how I died, it gets worse when a storm happens. The sounds remind me of the impact of the car hitting me." He shifted his head slightly, "And sometimes about losing you and the others." His voice broke as he continued. "And I don't want to lose you guys. You're like my family and I can't lose another family again."

Before the boy could break down completely, Caleb rested his head against his hair and whispered, "You won't have to. We're not going anywhere, not Alex, not Luke, not Reggie or the girls, not even me. Not if I can help it."

"You can't promise that. The boys and us all died once, what's to say we can't again?"

"Kid, I promise you. You're safe with me and the others. We won't let anything happen to you, just like how you won't let anything happen to us." He felt Willie's smile against his shoulder. "How about we get some sleep now, hm?"

"Will you stay?"

"You don't have to ask." 

They settled down, now in their pajamas after Caleb snapped his fingers. Willie's head moved to Caleb's chest they spoke about all the things that came into their heads. They spoke about the club and potential members, they joked about the existing members and new dances. They spoke about Willie's relationship with Alex, to which Caleb was glad to hear was doing well, the kids deserved some happiness. They spoke about their lives before death and how everything changed after death. They spoke about everything and nothing and all those in-between. And as Caleb drifted off to sleep, he smiled as he heard a quiet voice. 

"Thanks, dad."


	2. the joys of death and the misfortunes of life.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb comforts Willie after finding out he misses being alive by showing him the advantages of being a ghost. (and the family he made alongside)

It was a slow day for Willie. He felt out of place with everyone and everything lately, so he avoided everyone. He avoided Alex, denied his calls and stayed away from the usual places they'd hang out. He avoided Luke, Reggie and the girls and stayed away from the garage and the beach. He avoided Caleb and the club, but he was unpredictable and no one could keep their location secret from him for long. Thankfully, though, Caleb didn't track him. Yet. 

After poofing to numerous places, Willie found himself outside the place he grew up in, before he died. The building was still there, the little wooden fence surrounding it. He was sure if he went round to the back garden, he'd find his mother's plants still there, all arranged in her own little way. 

He was sure if he went in the house he'd find his father's chair sitting in the corner, facing the window. The coffee table almost swallowed with his paperwork and books, barely enough space as it was but he dared to put one more piece of paper down. 

He was sure if he went upstairs and turned left, his bedroom would still be untouched. His bed freshly made as if he never slept in it at all. His posters covering every inch of the main wall. His table would be covered with books for school and his bag resting next to his skateboard and helmet. 

Even if he was sure, he knew it was just an illusion. A dream. A memory of what was. 

A new family had moved in a few years back, changing everything he knew, to suit them. He turned his head and walked away before he could be tempted to walk in to a house that used to be his. 

He carried on walking until he found the old skatepark. It had long since been abandoned but he remembered learning tricks there everyday until it was darkness covered his vision. 

He walked until he couldn't no more. He collapsed at the end of the pier and stayed there looking at the crashing waves, until he felt a hand rest on his shoulder and heard a voice cut through the static in his head.

"Nice view, William, I must say but it is getting a bit chilly here. Let's go somewhere warmer." Caleb. 

"Not the club. I don't want to see the others either right now." Willie bowed his head, almost like he was ashamed , even though he had nothing to be ashamed about. 

"Wherever you'd like, William." He promised. 

Willie closed his eyes and thought about where to go. When he thought of somewhere, with Caleb's hand still on his shoulder, they poofed to the location. The park where he and Caleb first met. 

"Ah. We're back where we started." He looked to where Willie was still sitting down, his arms wrapped around his knees, and crouched down next to him. "What happened today?"

Willie's eyes welled up with tears as he spoke, "I didn't want to bother anyone. So I kept away." He sniffed quietly and turned his head away from Caleb. "I went back to where I lived when I was alive. I miss it. I don't miss _them_ but I miss the feeling of being alive again." 

"Oh, William." Caleb sighed. 

"I know, it's stupid. I should be over it, I'm dead and away from them." 

Caleb became irked at the way Willie was thinking. "Listen to me, you have a much better life being dead. Let me show you." He stood up and offered his hand to Willie, clearly not taking no for an answer. 

The boy took his hand and they poofed to the Boulevard, Willie stood up and looked around, his mouth hanging open slightly and his eyebrows pinched.

"You have the freedom to skate wherever you like, without the fear of being seen or getting into trouble. Not just skating either, but being able to travel wherever you like, whenever you like. The people you can meet and the experiences you can have are much better as a ghost than being a lifer. The tricks you can cast on random people just for the hell of it without being caught." 

They poofed to the club. "You have a safe place to come to. A place to rest your head. A place with people who look out for you always. A place to call home." 

Finally, they poofed to the garage. Willie's eyes widened and immediately tried to pull his hand away from Caleb's. 

"No, no, no, Caleb you promised." He panicked. 

"What's going on here?" A voice rang out before Caleb could reply back to Willie. They turned and saw it was Julie.

"Ah. Julie. Just the lifer we needed to see." Caleb smiled. 

Whereas Willie shook his head vigorously. "No. No we don't. Caleb let's go." 

The man rolled his eyes and kept a tight grip on Willie's hand, preventing him from escaping. "Can we stay here for a few hours?" 

Julie looked suspicious but didn't say anything, "Yeah, of course. Just let me get the boys as well." She smiled and let them into the garage to settle while she gathered the boys from the house. 

She reached the kitchen first, where Luke and Reggie were watching Ray cook. They looked up as they heard her enter. 

"Oh, hey Jules. What's up?" Luke asked. 

"Willie and Caleb are in the garage." She replied, "Where's Alex?" 

"Probably watching TV." Reggie shrugged. 

She nodded and made her way with the boys trailing behind her to the living room, where she found Alex watching TV with Carlos sitting unawares next to him. 

"Alex." Luke called and waved his hand at him to come to the hallway. 

"What's up guys?" He questioned.

"Willie and Caleb are in the garage waiting for us." Julie said, amused at the flustered look that was appearing on his face. 

"Wi- Willie's here?" They nodded. "When? Is he okay? What happened? Why is Caleb here as well?" He rambled.

"Willie's fine. Or at least I think he is, he looked a little uneasy when I found them talking outside the garage." Alex nodded, accepting that he wasn't physically hurt at least. "Now, let's go, they're waiting for us." 

They walked with Julie to the garage where Willie and Caleb were sitting on the sofa. Willie's leg was bouncing up and down and Caleb looked as calm and composed as ever, still keeping a tight grip on his hand. 

They looked over to where they band entered and Willie looked like he wanted to bolt right then and there. 

"Willie's not been feeling great recently, spend some time with him. I'll pick him up later." Caleb spoke before any of them could. He looked to Julie to confirm if it was okay and she nodded. 

He gave a small smile to Willie before poofing away. Alex moved to sit next to him and held his hand gently. 

"What's happened, Willie?" When Willie didn't meet his eyes, he continued. "You can talk to us, you know. We'll always listen." 

The others voiced their agreement and the skater decided to speak up. 

"I didn't want to bother you guys so I just avoided everyone, but Caleb found me at the pier." His grip tightened on Alex's hand. "I missed my family. I don't know why, they weren't the best but I guess it was just being alive and all that. I missed it. So I went back to the house I lived in with them when I was alive, everything had changed so much it was scary. Some other family decided to move in and change everything." 

Alex didn't know what to say and rubbed circles into his hand with his thumb. It was Reggie who sat on the arm of the sofa and spoke. 

"I kinda get it. My parents weren't the best either. My family home was turned into a bike shop on the beach. And I wished for a puppy, a hamster and pizza and I got none of those," He turned to the others. "We should order pizza." 

"No, Reg." Everyone chorused. It got a small chuckle out of Willie, which was enough for them. 

"I say we should watch Netflix for the day and later," Julie turns to Reggie. "We'll order some pizza." 

Reggie whooped and the others agreed. They watch Netflix for the next few hours, laughing over the characters silly actions and crying when something heartbreaking happened. 

Willie laid his head on Alex's chest and felt his hand run through his hair, lulling him to sleep. Alex heard his breaths even out and smiled gently. 

That's how Caleb found them when he came back to collect Willie. 

"How was he?" He asked them quietly, trying not to disturb the boy. 

"He told us why he wasn't feeling great today and why he didn't want to 'bother' us," Luke said, annoyed that Willie even thought he would be a bother to them. "But other than that, he was better when we started watching Netflix." 

"I think he wore himself out after everything." Julie added. 

Caleb nodded and picked Willie up from Alex's arms. He shifted at the disturbance but fell back asleep. The magician thanked the others and poofed out the garage to Willie's room. 

Still holding the boy in his arms, he moved to lay him down on his bed. As he moved, he heard Willie's drowsy voice, "Thank you for helping me today, dad."

"No problem, kid."

Before he left, he turned back to double check on Willie and around his room one last time, to make sure he was safe. Once satisfied, he walked through the door, with a small smile that stayed on his face for the rest of the day.


	3. wishes and cake.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the gang celebrate Willie's birthday.

"It's a special day, for a very special ghost." Was the first thing Willie heard when he woke up. 

Caleb walked into his room, singing that line over and over until he saw Willie sit up in his bed and smiled. 

"What are you still doing in bed, William? We've got lots to do and very little time." 

Willie groaned and flopped back into his pillows, "I'll see you downstairs in 10 minutes for breakfast, kid." 

"Okay."

By the time Willie walked into the expansive dining room, he saw the table filled with multi-coloured bags and packages. His mouth hung open as he looked towards Caleb. 

"You didn't." 

Caleb waved his hand around dismissively with a small smile. "Not just me." 

"What do you mean?" Caleb just shrugged his shoulders, "Fine. Keep your secrets." By now they both have big smiles covering their faces, and the magician gestured for the boy to sit down. 

"You can open them now." That's all it took for Willie to start, carefully, opening all the wrapping paper and bags. The gifts ranged from clothes and skating accessories to pictures and albums to various kinds of cameras. 

Willie's mouth hung open in shock, "Thank you so much, Caleb." He gave his mentor a quick hug before he spoke again.

"We've got to go Julie's garage later and pick up something so be ready for then." Willie grinned and bolted off with his new board in hand, "And stay away from the streets and skate responsibly!" He shouted after.

After a few hours of skating round Hollywood, breaking his new board in, he decided to head back to the hotel and get changed. He swapped his crop top for one of Alex's hoodies and wore some of the bracelets he received earlier from Caleb's presents. 

He walked around the floors trying to find the man in question before turning to the club and finding him lounging in one of the chairs.

"Ah, William, just in time." They poofed to Julie's garage where it all the lights were out.

"Um, Caleb? I think we should come back later, it looks like Julie isn't in." 

He turned round to Willie with a small smirk on his face. "Come on. You'll see." 

They walked through the doors and suddenly the lights flickered on and everyone shouted "Surprise!" jumping up from their hiding spots, scaring Willie momentarily.

"Oh my god, guys!" He gasped. "This is for me?"

"Well, I'd sure hope so. I'd be worried if you forgot your name all of a sudden." Alex spoke as he wrapped Willie in his arms and gave him a small kiss. 

"Save it for the bedroom, lovebirds." Luke called, making them pull away and laugh. 

They all partied for hours and hours. Flynn and Julie brought the cake out to which everyone prompted Willie to make a wish, he closed his eyes and blew out the candles, making a wish as he did. Everyone cheered and Reggie tried to help himself to a large serving of cake before anyone else could touch it, to which the girls slapped his hands away and give a big piece of cake to the birthday boy. 

It was nearing night when everyone stated to wind down from the day's events. But Caleb had one more surprise for Willie. 

"Hold out your hand and close your eyes." Willie did as he was told and felt a small box be placed in his hand. "Now open." 

He opened the box and saw a small key, he looked up at Caleb in shock. "I got you a house. It's concealed, so you don't have to worry about lifers finding it if you don't want them to. And it can be a separate space for you when you don't feel like being at the hotel or the club." 

"Yay! Sleepovers!" Reggie yelled, making everyone laugh. Ray caught the whole day on camera, making a mental note to give a copy to Caleb later.

Willie's face then broke out into a large smile that hurt his cheeks and hugged Caleb.

"Thanks, dad." He whispered. 

"No problem, kid." He whispered back.


	4. with love, comes peace and anguish.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (+1) Caleb completes his unfinished business to save Willie.

Willie was fading. The jolts started off small, a little discomfort here and there, and then progressed into body wracking.

Everyone was panicking. Alex tried everything, looking books at the hotel, asking other ghosts, even going off the map a few times to find answers. He still came up with a blank every time. 

The boys and Julie, and Flynn were doing their best to help Alex and comfort Willie. Nothing they did seemed to be working, Willie couldn't do anything without doubling over and shouting in pain. 

Caleb was the worst. He wracked his brains for days trying to figure out how to solve this. One night, he travelled to a legendary ghost to find answers. 

He knocked once at the aged door, "Come in." said gravelly voice. 

An old man looked up from his table, pausing his writing. "Ah, Caleb. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Someone I care about is fading. I need to know how to stop it." He replied, his resolve cracking slightly as he thought of the pain Willie was going through.

The old man looked astonished. "You? Care about someone? Ha, I don't believe it!." He narrowed his eyes at the magician and held his hand out. "Let me see." 

He took his hand and allowed the man to see his memories with Willie. Every good and bad and ugly moment they had together. Arguements and celebrations. Worries and relief. The man saw it all and smirked. 

"You really care about this kid, huh." 

"Yes, like he was my own."

"Very well." The man leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands together in front of him, "To save him you need to complete your unfinished business, that way you'll take his place and he'll stay as a ghost until he completes his." He cocked an eyebrow at the other. "Do you know your unfinished business, Caleb?" 

He nodded. "Yes. Yes, I do."

"Then complete it within the next hour and the kid will be fine." 

"Thank you." 

"It was nice knowing you, Caleb. I hope you find peace." 

They nodded to each other once more in passing and Caleb poofed out of the cottage to the club, where Willie was stumbling, holding his stomach and looking around frantically.

"Where is he? He was right here." Willie mumbled. 

"Who was here, Willie?" Alex asked. 

"Caleb. He's gone." 

"I'm right here, William." He stepped forward to catch the boy when he fell forward from the shock of the jolts. 

"You're back. I knew you'd come back." Willie smiled, full of hope and relief, but it wasn't to last. 

"I'm afraid I can't stay for much longer." He looked at the others as they voiced their sounds of protest and Willie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I know how to save you, William, but you have to trust me on this one."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, of course I do. Caleb, you're scaring me, what's going on?"

Caleb stood them both up properly and held Willie's hands in his. "William, when I first found you at the park, I knew my afterlife would change forever. You have brought nothing but joy into my life and I thank you for that."

"Caleb," Willie's eyes filled with tears as he quickly realised what his mentor was saying. "Why does this sound like goodbye?"

He smiled sadly as his eyes began to water too. "That's because it is."

Willie began to shake his head and tighten his grip on the others hands. "No. No, you can't leave. I won't let you."

"I'm afraid you have no choice, kid. Listen, you were like the child I never got to have. I'm proud to hear you call me your dad," A tear fell down their cheeks. "Just like I am proud to call you my son." 

He sniffed and exhaled deeply. "Now promise me, you'll look after yourself." 

"Of course not." They all laughed quietly at that.

"I love you, son."

"I love you too, dad." 

Willie gave Caleb a tight hug, trying to remember the sound of his voice and the way he hugged him back. The little things he'll carry with him forever. 

They parted and Willie let out a sob when he saw Caleb's body turn to dust and fly with the wind that was coincidentally picking up a little. 

He felt Alex's arms wrap around him as he thrashed around in them, trying to get to the space where Caleb once was. His cries turned into anguished screams that wracked his body more than the jolts did. He heard the others' footsteps hurry towards them and offer words of comfort, but they did little to ease the ache that was settling into his chest. He fell down to the floor, taking Alex with him, feeling like his whole world came crashing down around him. 

They stayed like that until Willie's throat couldn't handle the screaming no more. Until his voice cut out and his eyes ran out of tears to shed. Until his head pounded and body ached. He fell back into Alex's chest and wished that the pain would go away soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hurt my heart writing this one folks.
> 
> \---
> 
> thank you for reading and staying with me on this one. I appreciate all of you. :)

**Author's Note:**

> thank you everyone for reading! please kudos and comment if you want more and if you have any requests!!
> 
> \---
> 
> Caleb and Willie deserved better. try and change my mind.


End file.
